"Our agreement with Provo isn’t approved yet—it’s pending a vote by the City Council scheduled for next Tuesday, April 23," said Kevin Lo, General Manager of Google Fiber. "We intend to begin the network upgrades as soon as the closing conditions are satisfied and the deal is closed."

Lo said that Provo began constructing their own municipal network in 2004 because access to high speed connectivity was important to the community's future. However in 2011 the city began looking for a partner that would acquire the network and provide an affordable service. With Google in the picture, citizens may get free access to 5 Mbps Internet for at least seven years (after a $30 activation fee)… if the deal is approved, that is.

"We would also offer Google Fiber Gigabit Internet -- up to 100x faster Internet than today’s average broadband speeds -- and the option for Google Fiber TV service with hundreds of your favorite channels," he said. "We’d also provide free Gigabit Internet service to 25 local public institutions like schools, hospitals and libraries."

Lo pointed out that Utah is home to hundreds of tech companies and startups, many of which reside in or near Provo. Even more, the Provo area is ranked as second in the nation for patent growth, and typically ranked as one of the top places in the nation to do business and to live. That said, Gigabit Ethernet should help innovation flourish.

"Today, I did something that just two other U.S. Mayors have had the pleasure of doing – I announced that Google Fiber intends to make Provo its third 'Google Fiber City'," said Provo mayor John Curtis in a blog. "This is, as they say, “big news.” It allows us to finally implement a viable solution to the city’s ongoing iProvo troubles, a personal goal of mine since taking office. But it’s much bigger than that."